I generally keep mags around for a while and eventually get to them. They then pile up in one corner of the living room until they have become a little pile and then I take them over to the local hospital where they have them for patients to read. I considered not doing this this year, but then figured that they wouldn't want old mags and therefore this would be a waste (of course I'm late anyway but that's beside the point). So I weighed them and measured the stack and at the end of the year will have a "stack" made out of some boxes to represent them. The hospital told me they recycle the mags when they are finished which of course I can't be assured of, but I figure they go to good use right now and I will still be accountable for them.

I've been lurking here for a bit, never commented, but awfully impressed by your great experiment.

I work in a hospital, and recently someone left 3 or 4 enormous boxes of magazines. They were very happily received by the staff and patients alike. Recycling afterwards? I doubt if it'll happen at our hospital, unless I get to them last...

Oh yeah, sorry about that Christy. The local hospital actually has a drop off bins for mags. I'd assume though that any hospital that doesn't have something like that set up would take them though. Maybe contact customer relations or some such thing or just call the main number and ask them if it's ok to donate. We drop off a few times a year, and let me tell you, after spending a week in the ICU waiting room in April, mags are a godsend.

Hey Beanie, thanks for stopping by. Yep, I've cut down considerably. I'm going to ahve a new site up soon with the "solutions" I've come across so far, so that should help quantify what I;ve changed easy enough.

Hey unlapsing,Thanks for checking in. Yeah, I figured that there is no way they could truly recycle them all but I also figure that the good Karma involved more than makes up. Can't control everything right?

Depending on the magazines, old may not be a bad thing. Last time I was sitting in a hospital waiting room I picked up a magazine from 1988. It had more than one article that was still relevant / interesting (to me). The magazine was in fairly good condition, so I assume it must have been donated recently, rather than having floated around the hospital for 20+ years.